Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Recipe: Chewy, Chunky Blondies

We have had some beautiful blue skies the last few days only problem is we are lucky if the high temps go over freezing. The snow is melting very slowly. It's been over a week since we have been able to drive up to the house. Bill thinks we will be able to make it up here by Thursday which is ironic since it is suppose to snow again on Friday.

With the cold temps and staying home more I have been in the mood to bake. I have not baked as much as I did in California the high altitude baking is intimating. I was going through my Dorie Greenspan cookbook Baking From my home to yours and decided to make her Chewy, Chunky Blondies. I have to say they are delicious I still had some problems with the altitude they did not rise as high as hers did. Half way through the baking I went into the kitchen and noticed I forgot to put the nuts in, oh well.

Chewy, Chunky Blondies

Dorie Greenspan, Baking From my home to yours

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Heath Toffee Bits

1 cup walnuts, rough chopped

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Center a rack in the over and preheat to 325 degrees - Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With a stand mixer and paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating for 1 minute after each addition., then beat in vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts and coconut. Place batter in the baking dish using the spatula to even the top the best you can.

Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The blondies should be a honey brown and have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan to cool on another rack until completely cooled. Cut into 32 bars, each roughly 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches.